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From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Twelve people have been reportedly burnt to death in crude oil explosion that occurred on Friday in Rumuekpe community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The explosion and fire left many including women dead and burnt beyond recognition with many other vehicles, as well as tricycles burnt to ashes at the tapping point said to be on the Trans Niger Delta Pipeline (TNP) that passed through the community.
Saturday Sun gathered that the explosion occurred at about 2am on Friday, at a crude oil tapping point and left many people dead.
State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police (SP) confirmed the explosion and said 12 persons lost their lives. But, community sources said scores were roasted to death.
Iringe-Koko said preliminary investigation by the Police Command indicated that the victims were scooping crude product when the site caught fire.
She said: “So far, about 12 persons are believed to have been burnt to death. The identities of the victims are still unknown.”
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Command has again admonished members of the public to stay away from illegal oil bunkering,
It has also urged the residents to report any incident or development they believe has the potential to lead to crime or break down of law and order in Rivers State.
He disclosed that what caused the explosion was a spark from the exhaust of a Keke NAPEP (tricycle) and the products which were already packaged in thick cellophane caught fire immediately.
A community source who gave his name as Prince, said that those involved in the illegal oil business in that area do not cook the product.
He said: “What the actually do is they adopt the primitive method. They tap from the main pipe and dig a very big ground and put waterproof, so that sand will not enter the crude oil.
“They people doing the illegal business do cook because they do not have cooking points. They don’t tap with pipe. They scoop from the ground and fill the thick waterproofs. They don’t use jerrycans. Those thick waterproofs can take up to four jerrycans. That is why they use waterproofs.
“There’s a Keke driver that came to carry some packaged products. It is Keke the people doing the business mostly use. That tricycle (Keke) did not have spark arrestor.
“Somehow, there was spark from the exhaust, not smoke. So, with that spark, it ignited the already packaged crude. And there was an explosion. The fire spread speedily and all vehicles, tricycles and a motorcycle within the place where burnt to ashes.
“The painful aspect of it is that most of the people tying the waterproofs were women including youths and they were all burnt to death beyond recogition. People who were at the place did not escape. It happened before 2am today (Friday).”
